Nov. 7, 2008

Final Stats

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Senior Holly Mauldin (Columbia, S.C./Irmo) posted her ninth double-double of the season as she notched 16 assists and 15 digs and the USC Upstate volleyball team won its first set against Lipscomb, but the second-place Lady Bisons were able to fend off a game Upstate team, 3-1 (21-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-17), in Atlantic Sun Conference play at the Hodge Center on Friday night.

Mauldin, who leads the team with nine double-doubles this season, moved within 12 assists of becoming the first player in the Spartans' DI era to reach 1,000 assists and sophomore Sandra Campbell (Orlando, Fla./Pilot Point (Texas)) moved within 20 kills of becoming the first player to reach 500 kills in DI.

Campbell led the Spartans (8-19 overall, 3-14 A-Sun) with 14 kills and a season-high eight blocks, two off her career high. Freshman Kelsie Queen (Blythewood, S.C./Ridge View) added nine kills and two digs and both senior Jovana Lubura (Belgrade, Serbia/New Mexico Military Institute) and freshman Morgan Thomas (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) each added seven kills. Junior Morgan Bucciferro (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka Community) added 19 assists, senior Jenna Leslie (Houston, Texas/Westfield) posted nine digs and a season-high three blocks and sophomore Megan Healey (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline Academy) added 12 digs.

After falling behind 15-10 in the first set, the Spartans stormed back with an 8-3 run to tie the set at 18, as senior Tijana Knezevic (Indija, Serbia/New Mexico Military Institute) led the run with two kills in a row. Thomas also added two kills and two key blocks where Campbell assisted help tie the set. An attack error was followed by an ace from Mauldin, leading to another block from Campbell and Lubura, giving the Spartans a commanding 21-18 lead. From there, the Spartans ran the lead to 24-19. Lubura closed the set with a kill three points later, giving Upstate a 25-21 win.

The Lady Bisons (17-10 overall, 14-3 A-Sun) used an 11-4 run to open the second set to lead to a 25-17 win in the set. The Spartans got as close as three points at 18-15 after a Thomas kill, but the Lady Bisons responded with a 7-2 run to close the set.

Both teams played well in the third set, with Upstate taking a three-point lead at 13-10 after a service ace from Leslie, but Lipscomb answered by tying the set at 16. With the score tied at 18, back-to-back kills from Amy Trykowski and Alex Kelly gave the Lady Bisons some breathing room. Two more kills from Kelly helped the Lady Bisons close out the 25-21 win.

A 9-4 run in the fourth set helped the Lady Bisons take the 25-17 win in the fourth set.

Kelly led the Lady Bisons with 28 kills, nine digs and three blocks. Stefine Pease added 53 assists, 13 digs, five kills and three blocks and Amy Trykowski posted nine kills. Erin Pierce notched 15 digs and seven kills and Jessica Turner added 12 digs.

The Spartans continue their season-ending homestand by hosting A-Sun foe Belmont on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Hodge Center.